1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Bluetooth headset and a method for informing a user of an incoming call signal using the Bluetooth headset for use with communication terminals, and more particularly to a Bluetooth headset and a method for informing a user of an incoming call signal using the same, which implement a microphone boom in the form of an on/off switch, automatically switch an incoming call indication mode to a vibration or ringing mode according to on/off operations (i.e., switching operations) of the microphone boom, switch the incoming call indication mode to the vibration mode if a user does not wear the Bluetooth headset and the microphone boom is closed to a main body, and thus inform the user of an incoming call signal even though the user does not wear the Bluetooth headset.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent times, following the current trend of rapidly developing wireless communication technologies throughout the world, a variety of low-cost and low-power wireless devices or wireless links have been widely used for wireless communication industries and computer industries. A representative example of such wireless communication technologies is Bluetooth wireless technology developed by Ericsson Corporation in Sweden. The Bluetooth wireless technology aims to provide a user or service provider with the convenience of mobility and convenient mobile services, and is especially designed to provide the user or service provider with a low-cost, high-strength, high-efficiency, and high-capacity mobile service such as networking between a voice signal and data. Typically, a variety of Bluetooth devices having Bluetooth modules operable within a predetermined distance of 10 m transmit a voice signal and data in real time over a wireless link. Because a Bluetooth module is generally manufactured in the form of a small-sized microchip, it can be readily adaptable for use with various kinds of communicators. The Bluetooth module is generally designed to be operated at a frequency bandwidth of 2.4 GHz at which a variety of communications are compatible with each other throughout the whole world.
The Bluetooth modules have been widely applied to communication terminals, computer peripherals, and household appliances, etc. A representative example of the Bluetooth module is a wireless headset or an earphone. The Bluetooth headset allows a user to hear a voice signal of a called party in the same way as a headphone, and at the same time allows the user to transmit his or her voice signal to the called party in the same way as a microphone, such that the Bluetooth headset used for such two-way voice signals is considered to be a two-way communication unit. Such a Bluetooth headset can be readily implemented at low cost using 2.4 GHz ISM (Industrial Scientific Medical) band. Although a transmission distance of 10 m has been widely applied to such a Bluetooth headset, the Bluetooth headset has a longer transmission distance of 100 m on the condition that an amplifier has been additionally mounted to the Bluetooth headset. A TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) scheme functions as a multiplexing method for the Bluetooth headset because the TDM scheme is cost-effective. The Bluetooth headset includes three synchronous channels and one asynchronous channel. A GFSK (Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying) scheme functions as a modulation method for the Bluetooth headset. A Circuit and Packet Switching scheme is adapted for the Bluetooth headset, and the Bluetooth headset forms a Piconet to create a communication path between a caller and a called party.
In recent times, there have been developed built-in Bluetooth modules for use in mobile phones (also called mobile terminals) such as cellular phones and PCS phones to enhance the efficiency of a short-distance communication between different voice processors or different data processors, for example, communication between a mobile terminal and a computer. Particularly, Bluetooth headsets newly introduced to the market are being developed to provide users with additional functions along with a basic voice communication function, resulting in greater convenience for the users.
Current widely used Bluetooth headsets are classified into two types, i.e., a first Bluetooth headset with a boom and a second Bluetooth headset having no boom, from the viewpoint of mechanical characteristics. In this case, if the boom is not used for such Bluetooth headset, it is partially overlapped with a main body (i.e., a boom's closed state) to reduce an overall size of the Bluetooth headset. In the case where the Bluetooth headset is worn on the user's ear and a call connection state is established between the user and the called party, the boom is opened from the main body (i.e., a boom's open state) to swing a microphone mounted to one end of the boom toward the user's mouth, thereby transmitting a voice signal of the user to the called party.
FIGS. 1a to 1c illustrate the appearance of a conventional wireless headset. Referring to FIGS. 1a to 1c, the wireless headset module 10 includes a flexible ear hook 12, an ear piece 13 connected at one end to the flexible ear hook 12, a speaker module 14 detachably connected to the ear piece, a speaker 24 positioned on one side of the speaker module 14, and a power on/off button 26 positioned on the opposite or other side of the speaker module 14. The wireless headset module 10 further includes a transceiver module 20 attached to the end of the ear hook 12 in an opposite direction from its point of attachment to the ear piece 13, volume control buttons 28 positioned on the back side of the transceiver module 20, a battery module 22 positioned at the end of the transceiver module 20 in an opposite direction from its point of attachment to the flexible ear hook 12, a boom 16 rotated with respect to the ear piece 13, and a microphone 18 positioned at one end of the boom 16.
The components 16, 13, 12, 20 and 22 are modular and can all be detached from each other and substitute components can be inserted as may be necessary for different configurations. The detailed description of the above conventional wireless headset is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,029 issued on 8 May 2001, entitled “MODULAR WIRELESS HEADSET SYSTEM”, which is incorporated herein by reference.
The aforementioned conventional wireless headset module wirelessly communicates with cellular phones, resulting in greater convenience for the user. However, the conventional wireless headset module is unable to inform a user of an incoming call signal.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a conventional wireless headset. The conventional wireless headset 10 is linked to a communication terminal 20 having a Bluetooth function, and serves as a supplementary communication terminal having a communicable Bluetooth module. The wireless headset 10 includes a speaker SPK, a microphone MIC, and a power on/off switch 11, etc., and communicates with other communication terminals having Bluetooth modules by means of its own Bluetooth module. The bluetooth module includes a controller 12 for controlling an overall control operation of the headset 10, an RF transceiver 13, and a voice processor 14, etc. The Bluetooth module is a module communicable with Bluetooth communication devices prescribed in Bluetooth standards. A prescribed interface such as a HCI (HostControl Interface) is defined between the Bluetooth modules, message packets associated with the prescribed interface are communicated between the Bluetooth modules, and thereby a variety of information, for example, a control command, result information of the control command, and user data information, is also communicated between the Bluetooth modules. The detailed description is described in Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2003-0010213, which is incorporated herein by reference.
The aforementioned conventional wireless headset module wirelessly communicates with cellular phones, resulting in greater convenience for the user. However, this conventional wireless headset module is unable to inform a user of an incoming call signal.
The conventional Bluetooth headset modules shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 allow their speakers to ring or generate melody sound upon receiving an incoming call signal from the outside. Therefore, a user hears the output sound of the speaker, and actuates the “talk” button on the Bluetooth headset, thereby conducting a telephone conversation with other party.
Provided that the Bluetooth headset is worn on the user's ear, the user can recognize the incoming call signal because the user can audibly hear a ringing or melody sound indicating the incoming call signal. However, provided that the Bluetooth headset is put on or in a user's desk or pocket instead of being worn on the user's ear, the ringing or melody sound generated from a speaker of the Bluetooth headset is at a very low sound level, such that the user is unable to determine whether there is an incoming call signal.